Experience

Michelle Regalia McGrath is a California attorney who devotes her practice to conducting workplace investigations and Title IX investigations.

Michelle is dedicated to providing meticulous investigative services with integrity. She considers her years of experience as an employment lawyer in private practice, and then as in-house employment counsel for the U.S. Postal Service (Pacific Area), important building blocks for her work as an independent investigator.

During her tenure as in-house employment counsel at the U.S. Postal Service, Michelle was recognized for her skillful representation on highly sensitive and complex employment matters. Her prior employment law work encompassed all aspects of litigation, providing advice and conducting training. Michelle is also a trained mediator and has conducted mediations for the EEOC in San Francisco. She considers her extensive training as a mediator and investigator key to the successful transition from advocate to neutral.

Michelle has completed trauma-informed training specific to Title IX investigations. Michelle is an active member of the Association of Workplace Investigators (AOWI). She is a graduate of the Association of Workplace Investigators’ Training Institute For Workplace Investigators and is an AWI Certificate Holder (AWI-CH). She served as Part-Time Faculty at the AWI Training Institute in January 2018 and February 2019, and looks forward to serving as Full-Time Faculty at the Institute in November 2019.

The depth and breadth of Michelle’s professional experience and training, in addition to her personable demeanor, enable her to effectively build rapport with witnesses and elicit key information so that important questions can be answered. Equipped with her thorough reports, and with the advice of their legal counsel, organizational leaders are able to make well-informed decisions.

Michelle speaks and teaches on the topic of workplace investigations and is experienced testifying in deposition about her own investigations. She is also available as an expert consultant to evaluate investigations performed by others and can offer expert testimony regarding the adequacy of an investigation and related matters.

Michelle resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Issues for Investigation

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Assault

Disability Accommodation

Disability Discrimination and Harassment

Age Discrimination and Harassment

Religious Discrimination and Harassment

Sex/Pregnancy Discrimination and Harassment

Sexual Orientation Discrimination and Harassment

Violence

Bullying

Retaliation

Whistle-blower Allegations

Conflict of Interest

Education and License

Michelle is a graduate of Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California (1990). She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Boston College (1994). She pursued her deep appreciation for literature when she studied at Mansfield College of Oxford University for 6 months in her junior year at Boston College. Also while at Boston College, Michelle participated in many volunteer service opportunities including being a Big Sister through the PULSE program, The Appalachia Volunteer program, and a service trip in her senior year where she had the opportunity to live and serve the community in and around Kingston, Jamaica.

Michelle is a graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law (1998). While at Santa Clara, Michelle served as Student Bar Association Treasurer and then President.

Michelle is licensed to practice law in the State of California. In addition to being an active member of the Association of Workplace Investigators (described above), she is a member of the Alameda County Bar Association, the Contra Costa County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco.